Alibaba Aur 40 Bhoot Review: Horror Comedy That’s Neither Spooky nor Funny

Alibaba aur 40 Bhoot horror comedy shows

BOTTOM LINE
Horror Comedy That’s Neither Spooky nor Funny

PLATFORM
JIOHOTSTAR

RUNTIME
2 Hours (4 Episodes)

What Is the Show About?

Archaeologist Tapish Nigam unearths relics of an ancient demon in Jhuliya before vanishing mysteriously. When his daughter Alisha arrives, she finds his house in ruins and a secret basement full of artefacts. As eerie incidents grip the village, she begins to piece together his disappearance.

Performances

In terms of performances, there’s not much to write home about. There aren’t many familiar faces beyond the leads, Asha Negi and Vishal Vashishtha. Asha Negi is only asked to play a damsel in distress and look pretty. Vishal Vashishtha scores better with the humour. Mridul Das fails to bring anything new to an inconsequential role. None of the other actors make much of an impression.

Analysis

JioHotstar is following a clear minimum-guarantee strategy, picking familiar, accessible stories in mainstream genres. They ensure steady viewership, if not uniqueness. The priority is more on easy, light entertainment than on the desire to create anything unique.

Meanwhile, its latest horror-comedy Alibaba aur 40 Bhoot has nothing to do with the age-old Alibaba story, but revolves around the relics of a feared demon and a missing archaeologist, Tapish. As Tapish’s daughter Alisha returns to his village Jhuliya, he’s nowhere to be found. She registers a complaint with the cops, one of them being her childhood sweetheart Baba, who’s keen on renewing ties with her.

The village witnesses a series of eerie incidents. A one-legged man goes on a goat-killing spree in the morning. A child is reportedly possessed by a ghost. Alisha spots strange symbols across her house and the child’s home. A chilling backstory involving a father-daughter duo who had drowned in a well connects a few dots. Baba and Alisha join hands with a ghost-buster to handle the situation.

The atmosphere, despite the occasional horror elements, remains light-hearted. Baba is in the middle of an ad shoot when his superior entrusts him with a case. He’s instantly lovey-dovey when he bumps into Alisha after many years and is even possessive about her, despite the ghost-buster being around. The underdog officer, his romantic interest and the ghost-buster make for a goofball-ish trio.

The myth about the demon, who was humbled using 40 artefacts (referring to the title), gives us a hint of what to expect in the later episodes. The brief subplot involving an ill-treated father jumping into a well keeps you interested. Tapish’s former colleague and a sorcerer are up to some mischief while trying to trace his whereabouts.

That’s the thing with the show; it is aware of its silliness, has an uncomplicated plot and is tailored for easy viewing. The show remains upfront about its irreverence, draws its boundaries clearly and isn’t meant to reinvent the wheel. The humour isn’t laugh-out-loud funny and the jumpscares aren’t spooky enough. Yet, is it unwatchable? Not quite.

Several OTT platforms are now gradually following the footsteps of television, especially with their choice of stories. One may call it dumbing down the audience (which is true to an extent), but what remains key for the streamer is to strike a balance between something sensible and the occasional flippant title. Alibaba aur 40 Bhoot unabashedly belongs to the latter category.

Alibaba aur 40 Bhoot is an ordinary horror-comedy with modest aims and a familiar mishmash of ingredients – relics, a mythical demon, a typical backstory, a haunted child and a police investigation in the hands of a goofy cop. Only if you’ve run short of streaming options and are desperate to kill time, watch it with low expectations.

Music and Other Departments?

While the background score is strictly basic, what works better are the visual effects and cinematography for a show made on a modest budget. The production design is neat. The writing is nothing out of the ordinary, with various elements and references plucked from popular films in the genre. This likely comes from a demand to make something quick, feasible and have an audience ready to lap up the content regardless of its quality.

Highlights?

Works for timepass viewing

Some backstories are interesting

Good visuals

Drawbacks?

Could’ve been funnier with better writing

Too silly at times

Nothing original

Did I Enjoy It?

No

Will You Recommend It?

Only to kill time if you’ve got nothing left to watch and are stuck.

Alibaba Aur 40 Bhoot Web Series Reviewed by M9 News